As a community sportswriter, no event can compare to the state high school track and field championships for scope and size.
Before I came out to watch Jefferson on the first day of the Class 2 championships on May 19, I hadn’t covered the annual convergence of the state’s best runners, throwers and jumpers since 2010. Back then it was held at Lincoln University’s Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City. Starting last year, the Missouri State High School Activities Association has staged the meet (actually two meets, Classes 1-2 on the third weekend of May and Classes 3-5 on the following weekend) across the street at Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.
The Jays, of course, were a football powerhouse in the 1990s and standing in the end zone last Friday brought back good memories of covering football playoff games there. I remember the wide eyes of the players on two Francis Howell teams that were run out of town with blowout losses.
I was back Friday to watch De Soto senior Lamont Allen realize his dream of winning a state championship in the high jump. He finished second last year (Class 4) at 6-8. It was progress after finishing sixth as a freshman (in Class 3) and fifth as a sophomore, both with 6-3 jumps.
This time, it wasn’t even close. When St. Dominic senior Clayton Arnold couldn’t clear 6-7, Allen had won that elusive title. Then he showed some moxie. Instead of setting the bar at 6-8, he had it raised to 6-10, which he cleared for his official winning height.
Terry Frank was waiting for this. Although he coaches the De Soto girls, he’s worked on the side with Allen to help fine-tune his technique.
“We talked all year that we wanted to go in stations of height and work on building up to this moment,” Frank said, standing in the Dragon tent on the fringe of the stadium. “When it came down to needing those intermediate heights in the past, they caught him.
“It was his move,” Frank said of choosing to bump up to 6-10. “Once we had sewed up (the championship), I didn’t care what the (height) was. That’s what we did all year.”
Like all of the athletes I’ve met in Jefferson County over this school year – has it really gone by already? – Allen is humble and respectful. That’s a product of support at home and at school, I suspect. Allen wants to work in law enforcement. He’ll start his journey toward that goal at Illinois State University this fall on a track and field scholarship.
After his victory, Allen decided to go after that magical height of seven feet. Parkview’s Bill Jasinski set the state record of 7-3 way back in 1982. For prep high jumpers, the seven-foot mark can be like Moby Dick to Captain Ahab, an object of obsession.
Resting and recharging in the jumper’s tent, Allen sought refuge from the building heat and sun. He seemed completely relaxed and calm.
That is, on the outside.
“I was still sweating bullets,” he admitted afterward. “I was wringing my hands tightly and my knees were getting weak.”
Sounds more like lyrics to a Pink Floyd song than the inner workings of a highly trained athlete. But that’s the commitment these young men and women make every week, testing the limits of their abilities. Us non-athletic types don’t wake up in the morning and say, “I think I’ll jump seven feet today in front of thousands of people.”
Allen made three attempts and knocked the bar off each time, twice clipping it with his heels. He’ll have to wait to resume the challenge as a Cardinal next year.
The high jump was only the beginning of Allen’s day. What happened next should make MSHSAA officials rethink the meet schedule from the perspective of athletes like Allen who compete in the maximum four events.
Allen and Hillsboro’s Isaiah Martin had to hustle through the preliminary round of the long jump to compete in other events – Allen in the 4x100-meter relay and Martin in the javelin. After scooting ahead in line to fit in his three jumps, Martin grabbed his equipment and sprinted to the javelin competition across the street from the high school.
Neither Allen or Martin qualified for the long jump finals.
Maybe there’s no way to avoid all that. But since each athlete has just 90 minutes to finish the preliminary phase of an event, it’s not fair to make them rush their performance.
As the day was winding down, Martin fashioned a piece of local track history. With his mom, brother, grandmother, coaches, administrators, teammates and just curious fans looking on, he became the first county athlete to win the javelin at state, in the event’s first year (officially) on the schedule.
His winning throw traveled 161 feet, nine inches, about the same as heaving a football from the end zone to just past the 50-yard line. (Note: tossing the javelin is way more difficult.) He beat the runner-up, Webb City junior Brian Short, by just over an inch.
The Hillsboro contingent exploded in cheers at Martin’s victory. But the Hawk junior had more business on his mind. He calmly closed the suitcase that held the six different pairs of shoes he was using to compete in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and javelin.
His javelin shoes were bright orange. Kind of like Martin’s always-sunny disposition.
“Each pair serves a purpose,” he said, smiling widely.
The purpose is clear. Day one of state track was a triumph for two of the county’s top athletes.